Riesling Ölberg GG 2023

A fine-boned, bright and floral Riesling in medium straw yellow that doesn't give up its aromas right away. Only with a little warmth and air do the juicy yellow fruit and a cool, stony note emerge, topped by a subtle smoky touch.

The Ölberg is Kühling-Gillot's southernmost site in Nierstein's Roter Hang and the only one with full south exposure. At 60% gradient, it's a classic steep vineyard. Here, red clay slate takes the place of the vineyard's topsoil as the weathered bedrock, while also acting as a heat store. The Roter Hang stretches between Nierstein and Nackenheim, where the estate also farms Pettenthal, Hipping and Rothenberg.

Pure varietal Riesling, vinified dry, 12.5% vol. The estate has worked biodynamically since 2005: preparations 500 and 501 are used regularly, with lunar phases setting the rhythm of vineyard work. In the cellar, spontaneous fermentation in large wooden casks and steel tanks, minimal use of sulfur, no fining agents.

This Riesling shows plenty of juice, coming across as lively, round and silky — a charmer with a fine balance of fruit and extract. The closer it gets to the finish, the more saline and piquant it becomes: taut, with drive, increasingly mouthwatering and dense.

What's remarkable is how it evolves in the glass. What begins juicy and round ends saline, taut and dense. A wine that needs time and air to gain in contour.